


Sugar Pink Liquor, Liquor Lips

by maidenofsouls (kira892)



Category: Homestuck
Genre: College AU, Humanstuck, M/M, if it's not obvious enough this is kind of heavily inspired by paradise kiss
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-23
Updated: 2014-03-23
Packaged: 2018-01-16 17:59:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1356778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kira892/pseuds/maidenofsouls
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You wake up around noon, alone and naked under sheets that aren't yours, in a bed that isn't yours.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sugar Pink Liquor, Liquor Lips

**Author's Note:**

> This was brought about by two things: Rewatching all of paradise kiss in one night, listening to Bubblegum Bitch on repeat for far too long. I'll try to have the second part up as soon as possible, enjoy!

You wake up around noon, alone and naked under sheets that aren't yours, in a bed that isn't yours. Your eyes open to the sight of a window obscured by a quite frankly hideous set of drapes, torn straight out of the pages of a 50's catalogue and you stare at them, unseeing for several seconds. Eventually, your brain wakes up enough to realize that somewhere in this room that isn't yours, your phone is ringing, loud and shrill, attempting to get you to find it and answer whoever might be trying to reach you. You sit up with a bit of difficulty and you wince a little at how sore your back is. You put a hand on it and you prowl around the tiny, cluttered room, overturning things with one hand and muttering curses under your breath like an unhappy senior.

Your phone comes tumbling out of the sheets when you shake them out for the third time and you swear when it bounces off the floorboards and slides under the bed. You manage to get something that feels like pebbles embedded in your knee when you kneel down and reach for it and you grimace as you stand up and bend down to see that you've knelt on a stray bead and a wayward rhinestone. You spare the owner of this room an incredibly rude thought in your head and you answer your phone as you walk over to the adjoining bathroom, patting at your knees to shake off the beads, rhinestones and the thin layer of dust stuck to your skin.

Porrim's voice greets you as you turn on the tap and splash some ice cold water on your face.

"Hello Kanny, just calling to remind you that you need to be at the studio in an hour."

"I am perfectly aware of that Porrim and though I admire your competence as a leader and the measures you take to make sure your project goes without a hitch and everyone involved does their part, I dare remind you that my memory has not receded in 24 hours and there's no need to keep badgering me, I will be there and I will be there on time." You say, inspecting yourself in the mirror.

You hiss a little when you turn around and look over your shoulder to inspect your back. There are long, thin, bright red welts scratched in vertical lines down your back, interrupted here and there by even thiner lines of broken skin. God dammit, whichever entity decides to take pity on you today, please let them control whatever Porrim wants to you in and let whatever that thing be something that doesn't reveal your back at all or something that you can put on by yourself.

"Just making sure. After all, you didn't come home last night."

That makes you pause, and before you can complain about being treated like a child,  _again_ , Porrim cuts you off with a question. "Where were you anyway? I dropped by your place after Kurloz's party last night because you left your sweater in my car but Karkat said you weren't home. It was past 2 in the morning."

You open your mouth to answer but Porrim cuts you off again "and for the love of god, I'm a little hung over so just so you know, I'm just  _curious_ ."

Hmph. Sure she is. Though you probably deserve a good, stern talking to of the maternal, Maryam variety if she found out what you were up to last night.

"I was at the library, making up for lost study time. I have three tests coming up in the next week you know." and you leave it at that, making sure to imply the silent " _this project you roped me into, and that i so graciously decided to partake in for_ you _is taking up my time"_ in the tone of your voice. It's not a complete lie and even if it was, the unspoken statement still would've held true. Porrim sighs and you've known her long enough to know that she understood. 

"Alright, whatever. We'll see you in a bit." Porrim says and from the tone of her voice, you get the feeling that she doesn't believe you at all but is deciding to withold prying answers from you until later.

And you appreciate that. You'd just have to make sure she forgets or she doesn't get the chance to corner you later on. You tell her you'd see her and you hang up, setting your phone down on the sink and inspecting your back some more.

You think about doing something about it but once you set foot back into the bedroom and catch sight of the clock, you decide to just find your clothes and leave. It doesn't take you long. Five minutes later, you're on your way out the door and you stop by the kitchen table where you find a note adressed to you, taped to a sealed thermos next to a wrapped sandwich.

_made you breakfast chief, but help yourself to anything else in the kitchen if you wvant._

You unscrew the thermos and sigh a little at the warm steam strongly smelling of plain black coffee that wafts out. You take a few cautious sips, debate leaving the sandwhich behind and decide after a few moments to stuff it in your messenger bag and go.

There's another note left for you in the tiny coat closet next to the door where you go to look for yours and remember that you only had a sweater with you last night and you left it in Porrim's car.

_you can borrowv one of my coats too, just make sure to givwe it back later kay?_

You decide not to out of defiance and pride but as soon as you open the front door and the cold autum air smacks into you like a brick wall, you think  _god_ _**damn** _ _ it _ , grab the least flashiest coat you can find, and walk out. 

You sip at your coffee on the train home and by the time you've reached your stop, it was all gone. A small child in a fuschia pink stroller keeps staring at you on the short bus ride it takes to get from the station to your house and it makes you uncomfortable, like it knows your secrets and it was juding you. You attempt to stare it down but its parent, a tired looking woman with drooping gray eyes, tattoos and piercings that reminds you of Meenah catches you staring and you look away immediately, feeling stupid and embarassed.

You reach home around 12:40. The house is thankfully empty and you hurry upstairs to take a shower. When you come out, you have about 10 minutes left to get to the studio. So you towel off, slip on the first articles of clothing in your closet your eyes land on and run downstairs. You grab your keys, the empty thermos of coffee you left on the kitchen counter, refill it (with chai tea, one teaspoon of lemon juice and lots of honey), stuff your borrowed coat into a bag, grab Karkat's off the coat rack and rush on out to your car.

The clock on your dashboard reads 12:58 by the time you get to the studio and you almost trip on the wires laid out on the floor on your way in. A set up is receiving its finishing touches for a photoshoot and for about a minute or two, you just stand there, watching Porrim's younger sister Kanaya and a girl you don't know, adjust and readjust a long sheet of wine-red velvet over the back of a handsome looking sofa. You stare at said sofa, with its expensive looking upholstery bathed in the soft light coming from the diffusers and you try to imagine yourself on it. It's a very difficult thing to picture and before you can have any sort of success, someone grabs your elbow and you're being led away.

"You're late." Porrim says as she pulls you over to one corner of the studio where a portable vanity has been set up and plops you straight down onto a stool. "No I'm not-" you begin to say as Porrim grabs your bag and your thermos out of your hands. "Oh yes you are, I told you to come in at least ten minutes earlier so we could get your hair and make up done."

Oh, right. You forgot about that. Porrim tuts, sets your thermos and your bag down on the floor by your stool and grabs your chin, forcing you to look straight forward, at the face of your makeup person for today. She beams at you, olive eyes twinkling from behind a pair of green hello kitty hipster frames.

"I guess it doesn't matter, just shut up and let us make you pretty." Porrim says and turns to the girl in front of you. "Meulin, work your magic. and try to make it quick sweetie, im sorry."

Meulin beams at her and makes a saluting gesture with a foundation brush. "You can count on me Purriem!"

Porrim was already walking off before she can finish her sentence and you sigh a little to yourself as Meulin gets right to work "making you pretty." She's plucking your eyebrows when Porrim comes back with Kanaya in tow and starts discussing what she wanted to do with your hair. They waste a good ten minutes, give or take a few, doing that but they don't waste time at all after coming to a consensus. Porrim goes away again and Kanaya's trained hands immediately descend upon your head with hairspray, combs, curling irons and god knows what else.

"Where's Rufioh today?" You ask Kanaya conversationally after what feels like a long bout of silence only ocassionally interrupted by Meulin murmuring to herself as she works on your face.

"He was asked last minute to work at hair and makeup for a band that's playing live somewhere in the city tonight." Kanaya says, her words being punctuated by short, hissing bursts of sweet smelling chemicals from the bottle of hair spray in her hand.

"I see. What about Cronus?"

"What about me babe?" someone asks from somewhere behind you. You try to tilt your head and see as much as you can without messing up Kanaya and Meulin's work and you only manage to get a whiff of the aftershave you spent ten minutes scrubbing off your body just a little while ago. The whiff becomes a full blown wall of scent a second later when Cronus steps into your line of sight, flashing that wide, cocky smirk-grin, the one that takes any form of interaction as attention and basks in it. He bends down to pick up the thermos by your feet and unscrews it, peering at the contents curiously.

"This for me?"

"No," You lie

"Cool, thanks." Cronus says, as quickly and easily as he would if you'd admitted right there in front of everyone that you brought him tea just the way he likes it. He makes eye contact and keeps it as he takes a long, slow sip. He raises his eyebrows once at you over the rim of the thermos and you return his stare flatly, giving nothing away.

"Looking good ladies, looking good." Cronus says, nodding at you and grinning at Meulin and Kanaya. "If you and your sister don't win that award this year, we'd prove that justice don't exist. Pretty model, pretty clothes, talented crew. You guys got this in the bag" he says to the latter, taking another sip of his tea.

Kanaya simply hums, unmoved by the flattery. "Let us hope the judges think so, after all, at the end of the day, it's their opinion that matters."

"Hahaha yeeeaah..." Cronus says, just a touch awkward at Kanaya's frosty tone. "Wellp, I need to go help Horrus set up, I'll see you guys later."

"Alrighty!" Meulin is the only one who answers, not even glancing at him as he walks away.

"That one, honestly." Kanaya says with a small sigh.

Meulin giggles. "He's really not too bad if you get to know him. Typical story from what I heard, lonely child hood, spent constantly living under the shadow of a greater sibling."

"That's no excuse to be so annoying." Kanaya says and she sprays more parts of your hair in place.  _ sssss, ssss, ssss _ goes the can of hairspray, like a vampire hissing in distaste. "And greater? please. I do not like him by any means but I would very gladly take his company over his younger brother's any day."

Meulin shrugs. "You get used to it after a while. Besides, I agree, I really doubt you and Porrim wouldn't win this year." she says, dabbing something around your eyes to hide the dark circles under them. "Also, you should have seen him when he was single, ughhh it was pawful."

"He's not still single now?" Kanaya asks and you can hear the incredulous quirking of her eyebrow.

Meulin giggles and for a second you almost think her roving gaze over your features was knowing instead of professional and your heart sinks to your stomach.

"Nope. Last I heard, he was dating Meenah. Or Meenah's dating him. Both sentences mean the same thing but it just sounds more accurate when you say it like the second one." Meulin says, nudging your lip down with a lip brush. You part your lips a little and she puts her thumb in the dip right below your lower one, using her hold to nudge your mouth further down.

"She's rebounding from Aranea I'm assuming?" Kanaya asks.

Meulin makes a face, staring at yours intently while she dabs a bit of color at your lips. "Uh huh" she says, tilting your head carefully left and right. "No love in that relationship for sure. But I think the sex is good....or at least okay."

Kanaya scoffs.

"Yeah no, purrobably just below mediocre. I heard they both got people on the side. I know Cronus does fur sure."

"Really? Who?" Kanaya asks, once more incredulous and burningly curious.

Your heart moves from your stomach to your feet and when the next  _ ssss _ of hair spray brushes against the back of your neck, you resist the urge to flinch.

Meulin shrugs, picking up an eyeliner pencil and pulling one of your lower eyelids down to sketch a line on it. "No one knows. It's not someone from school though, if it was, someone would have known who it was by now."

Aaah but she's wrong about that. The first part at least. She's techinically wrong about the second part too as far as you know. It's been an ongoing thing since this whole project started, all the way back in September when Porrim asked you to be their model. Thinking that no one other than you and Cronus himself knew at this point would be naive.

There were 3 photoshoots in total that you'd agreed to do, along with a fashion show at the end of the semester to mark the end of the project. Porrim had presented you with a  meticulously outlined schedule that detailed every minute of your time she intended to take up, knowing you wouldn't say yes otherwise. Today is your second photoshoot, where Porrim promised to have you out with just enough time to spare for a small lunch maybe before heading out to your only lecture for the day. You coming in a little bit late for hair and make up set them back a few minutes but with a bit of yelling and snapping and a lot of frantic rushes to get you into clothes and have you trying out poses, everyone still managed to get through the whole ordeal successfully.

 

Everyone hangs back a little after the last photo was taken to review all of them. You stay put on the couch that you've spent about half an hour in, in case Porrim or Cronus find something wrong with one of the pictures and decide to re do it. Most of the crew are crowded around them, peeking over their shoulders, at the tiny screen of Cronus' camera and you observe them from your spot, reclined on the couch, resisting the urge to rub or scratch anything and ruin your makeup or your hair.

 

They have you re-do two poses, the photos of which both turn out satisfactory by Porrim and Cronus' standards. Afterward, you only hang back for long enough to change back into your normal clothes, mumbling curt goodbyes to everyone who bothers to say one to you as you make your way out to the parking lot.

 

You've barely managed to set foot outside when a hand suddenly grabs you by the elbow.

 

“Leaving so soon chief?”

 

Huffing once, your fingers clench around the strap of your bag and you turn around, lips curving down into a small frown. “Yes.” You reply curtly, looking up at Cronus with a distinctly unfriendly expression.

 

“Thanks for the tea. I'm surprised you remember how I take it.”

 

“You're welcome.” you mumble, already turning away, this time Cronus reaches out and holds you back by hooking his fingers in one of your belt loops.

 

“Excuse me-!” You begin. Cronus cuts you off by brushing his knuckles against your cheek and flashing you a wide grin. He takes a step closer, putting him near enough for you to be able to get one big whiff of his cologne. It's a scent that lingered in your nose for most of the morning and almost all of last night and having it right in your face right this second summons memories that starts a slow, heavy burn in your belly and has your eyes sliding slowly down from Cronus' eyes to his lips, down his neck and to the sharp collar bones peeking out from the low V of his shirt.

 

“Have you eaten anything yet? I'm going to go head out for a late lunch. I was wondering if you'd like to join me.”

 

As he speaks, the hand that was hooked into your belt loop slides up your waist, hovers by your side for a second before pressing itself palm flat against your rib, thumb stroking idle, gentle strokes against your skin through the fabric of your sweater.

 

“I spent most of my evening in your company, I think you should spend yours in someone else's this afternoon.”

 

“Aww don't be like that.” Cronus almost purrs, like he can see your reslove crumbling, blue eyes twinkling with the satisfaction of knowing he's already won.

 

“It's my treat.” He offers, raising his eyebrows.

 

You open your mouth, probably to refuse, and then forget the words you would have said because he suddenly leans down close enough to kiss it. His lips brush your cheek when you shove him away, hissing quietly about how anyone can see you. He just chuckles low in his throat, the hand on your side sliding down easily to your waist and then lower, past your hip, before settling on the space where your leg meets the rest of your body. His palm just stays there but its hot and heavy against you, full of intent and your pulse races.

 

“Please?” Cronus asks softly, features gentling to match his tone. His eyes look at you like he'd like to have _you_ for lunch and you hold back a tiny shiver.

 

This is dangerous. He's dangerous. Him and Meenah are nothing but trouble, and they deserve each other you suppose. They're both awful and careless and selfish, all pettiness and greed wrapped up in charm and beauty and you hate him as much as you want him. You think, you _know_ he'd either knock you over and tear you to pieces or he'd cause his own downfall and take you down with him.

 

None of that explains why you lead him to your car and let his hand settle on your thigh the entire time he sits on the passenger seat, awful and beautiful and ruining you by the second.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this in a rush before i had to leave for work so i apologize for errors and such >O


End file.
